1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for mounting multiple optical elements, such as mirrors, beam splitters, lenses, gratings, filters and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to an optical mount which holds cylindrical and planar optical elements at angular offsets from either of two orthogonal orientations.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of adjustable mounting apparatus for supporting optical components, such as mirrors, beam splitters, lenses, gratings, and the like, is known. The use of adjustable mounting or clamping devices is a common technique in the field of experimental optics. Such mounts are used to position optical elements, such as mirrors, beam splitters, lenses and gratings, light sources and other optical devices. Since these devices do not conform to a standard set of dimensions, each may require its own mount. The requirements are further complicated by the fact that each optical element has to be positioned at a precise orientation and location to each other and to the optical bench.
Optical mounts comprise a pair of generally parallel plates, of which one of the plates is fixed to a surface or base and the other plate is adjustably suspended from the first plate. The second plate may be mounted using a "six-point suspension," where adjustment of the perpendicular distance between the plates at each of the three suspension points can provide for fine adjustments to the orientation of the second plate. The ability to perform minute adjustments, on the order of a few arc seconds, to the orientation of an optical element is particularly necessary, in applications such as interferometry, holography, and optical communication where precise collumnation of a laser beam(s) is necessary.
Typically, optical mounts incorporating a "six-point suspension" system are fabricated from metal, machined to close tolerances, and are thus expensive. Many such mounts are required in even the most elementary set-ups. Compounding the costs associated with precision optical set-ups is the fact that each mount typically requires an expensive adaptor to hold optical elements of different shapes and sizes.
Thus, there is a need for a optical mount that is inexpensive and capable of accommodating various shapes and sizes of optical elements. There is a further need for an optical mount which permits fine adjustments to the mounting surface such as those associated with a "six-point suspension."